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Cormyr
Known as the Forest Country and the Land of the Purple dragon, Cormyr is an independent nation in Interior Faerûn. It was historically one of the most prosperous countries of Faerûn. The current ruler, Regent Alusair Obarskyr, has her hands full dealing with all of these threats. She has the experienced Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards at her disposal. Adventuring is frowned upon without an official license, but adventurers could likely lend a tremendous amount of aid to the overstretched Cormyrian military. Lady Alusair has been known to offer land in exchange for services rendered to her country, so this is a place adventurers wanting to make a name for themselves tend to flock to. History :See also: History of Cormyr Cormyr was founded in 26 DR. Its first king was Faerlthann Obarskyr, son of Ondeth Obarskyr and Suzara Obarskyr. The kingdom was initially formed because the elves and humans in the region needed to get along with each other. Since that time, Cormyr has grown by absorbing the realms of Esparin and Orva and claiming the Stonelands as its own. Some time between 376 DR and 432 DR, Cormyr was invaded by many dragons, including Thauglor,the purple Dragon,so called because his scales went purple with age, who laid waste to virtually all of the settlements in the country. It was then raided by orcs from the Stonelands, who occupied the King's Forest until they were finally driven out in 429 DR by King Duar Obarskyr. By 432 DR, many noble families had left Cormyr for either the Dalelands or Waterdeep, or split into small factional bands. The city of Suzail was sold to Magrath the Minotaur and his pirates by a traitor to the crown around this time, and it was after Magrath's death that the Purple Dragon was adopted as the nation's official symbol. In the early days of Cormyr, the King's Forest was a royal hunting preserve, to which the King granted nobles (and in rare instances, visiting envoys and Cormyrean commoners) access to "hunt with him" (and later, to hunt with other members of the royal family). The King's foresters (staff) hunted the vermin, such as stirges, foxes, wolves, etc. Adventurers and some intrepid royals (think Bhereu and Thomdor, in Azoun IV's time) hunted, with formal permission, owlbears and other "monsters" of the forest. Commoners weren't allowed to hunt in the forest, but from time to time would be given low-level local permission (as in: king's lords, forester commanders) to "take deer" (usually when the deer population was exploding, to prevent an inevitable "starvation crash"). Yet only royalty and nobility could hunt wild boar and stags (the "cream" quarry). Over time, various noble families were given permission to build their own hunting lodges in the King's Forest (usually in return for having supported or mightily pleasing the royal family in some way). So inevitably, they took to occasionally hunting without royal presence or express permission. Also over many passing decades and centuries, commoners hunting deer along the verges became more frequent and less "special" and requiring special permission. The waystop inns and forester's hamlets within the forest grew over time, becoming villages with more folk in them who sought food and water in the nearby forests. Many village youths hunted "tree cats" (the local equivalent of squirrels), and rabbits. Over time, public attitude shifted from "the forest and everything in it belongs to the King" to "the forest and everything in it belongs to Cormyr, and that's us." So from being an exclusive royal hunting preserve, the King's Forest by the start of the 1360s DR is "a dangerous place in deep, but a resource for all along the verges, just keep out of the way of the hunting parties because they get proper blazing if you interfere with their hunts." Inevitably, some of the wealthiest social-climbing "wannabe noble" merchants took to hunting (hiring their own huntsmen, assembling their own hunting parties with all the gear, etc.) - - and going after boars and stags, not just deer, to "show that they were as good as a noble" and practically WERE nobles. So by the time of Azoun IV's death, Vangey was itching to find some way to control this, and hit upon the notion that the reigning monarch would formally be "the Stagmaster of the Realms," reasserting royal control over who could hunt stags. In effect, formally designating the monarch as the "chief forester" of all Cormyr, whose permission you need to get to hunt stags. Government Cormyr has been ruled by a monarchy ever since it was founded. There are some in recent times who would like to see the nation run by council. The ruling monarch has an advisor, who has the title (amongst others) of High Wizard, and who is in charge of the War Wizards. Laws of the Kingdom :See also: Laws of Cormyr :By 1368 DR, the following laws have been posted at all major entry points to Cormyr. It is not known when this practice started, or whether or not it has now been discontinued. :Laws of Cormyr :# All persons entering Cormyr must register with the officials of a border garrison. :# Foreign currency can only be used in certain locations. Please exchange your coins for Cormyrean golden lions at your first opportunity. :# Adventurers must acquire a charter before undertaking any operation as a group. :# All weapons must be peace-bonded. The only persons exempt from this law are members of chartered adventuring groups and members of mercenary groups that can offer proof of employment. :# Harming cats is forbidden. :# Bow your head to royalty and the local nobility. :# Purple Dragons have the right to search you upon request. :# Hunting on private land is forbidden. Nobility :See also: Cormyrian houses The nobility of Cormyr are composed of the most wealthy and influential households. There is an annual ceremony at the beginning of the summer where each noble house comes to Suzail to meet and see the monarch and discuss their achievements over the previous year, before retiring to their summer residences. Nobles swear allegiance to the crown on the sword Symylazarr.Nobles owe the king of Cormyr a certain number of troops, in lieu of their military service, under Cormyrian law. 1. Martin Freyault Illance is a still-very-much-alive, darkly handsome young womanizer of charm, wit, and the ability to become a self-effacing "listener in the background." His uncle, Freyault Illance, who was assassinated in DEATH OF THE DRAGON, was a far more arrogant, flamboyant, non-stop womanizer, of the "There's not a wench in the realm as can withstand my matchless charm! Behold, as I conquer anew!" sort. So, no, they're not the same guy. Garen is quite correct that Freyault is a family name (first borne by a famous and heroic Illance great-grandsire, who served the Crown well in battles in the Stonelands and what were then termed "the Hullack wilds," or lawless rolling country, now tamed and patrolled farmlands, around the Hullack Forest), and that Martin (a name derived from Delamartina, his exquisitely-beautiful grandmother, reputed to have given birth to no less than four royal bastards whom Vangey "vanished" as newborns; he's thought to have spirited them away, NOT slain them) was bestowed on the younger Illance to distinguish the two of them. Garen is also quite correct in saying most of the Illance men are womanizers. Let me amplify that: most of the Illance men possess good looks and a womanizing streak that makes the Obarskyrs look timid. This, plus their glib tongues, business successes, and aggressive traits (dueling, intimidating, manipulating) has made the family widely disliked. 2. The published Rayburton lifespans have fallen victim to typos, and should be, as Garen Thal surmised: Onkyl Drethan Rayburton (-40 DR -- 41 DR) being the father of Telarn Erren Rayburton (-21 DR -- 43 DR). An old but still active NDA is threaded through this, and prevents me from giving more details. 3. As you say, it's obvious that House Orthwood regained its noble status sometime between 1227 DR and 1371 DR. As Garen suggests, I'm not going to say why (and yes, as he conjectures, it's most likely the result of Orthwood loyalty during the regency of Salember). However, I will say this much: restoration of nobility to those who've lost it isn't unprecedented in Cormyr at all! (It IS rare for the "guilty parties," the heads or elders of the house at the time of the loss of nobility, to regain their personal standing within the reign of the same Obarskyr monarch, yes. Nobility is usually restored by a later monarch, in return for demonstrated personal loyalty, aid, or support by members of the "darkshield" stripped of nobility family.) As Garen says: "It is usually younger kin, cousins, and "country knight" types, disgraced by more "refined" relatives closer to the seats of family power, that work for and achieve" restoration of personal or family titles. His point about certain individuals retaining personal military or Court ranks even as their kin are disgraced and even exiled, stands. Given time, I could go back through the various reigns (notably those of Duar, Iltharl, and post-Salember), and generate a list of well over a dozen such families. However, considering that WotC is waiting for me to turn in three late projects right now, that's time I dare not take. 4. Bam! We run full-tilt into Dreaded NDA Territory. (When you feel the quicksand quaking under your feet, don't slow down, but rather circle quickly to your right and try to go back in the direction you came from...) Let's see what can be said... a) Yup, hostilities commenced er, "close to" 1190 DR. I'll have to check with certain other parties to see how specific I can be here. b) Same again, thanks. c) Slightly west of the midpoint of the forest, east-west, a bare mile or so in from the north edge. The forest was larger then, but most of its shrinkage (due to woodcutting AND farm clearances rather than just periodic woodcutting) has been on the southern and western edges. Again, to say more about the Hall, I'll have to get clearance. d) Again, I have to be very careful what I now say about House Drauthglas (read: must get clearance to say more), but Garen Thal is quite correct: unless or until Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak (good friends of mine, and both very busy at present with non-Realms work) make any changes, the published Wyvernspur genealogy is both complete and correct. Well, let me give a hint more: the Wyvernspurs have enjoyed (earned) great royal favour from time to time, and bestowing territory is one reward monarchs can give. Drauthglas daughters almost certainly married into families who either owed the Obarskyrs debts (which they paid in part by certain land transfers), or who earned enough royal disfavour at some point (or points) to be dispossessed of their Cormyrean holdings. As for the three "vanished in 710 DR" families: yes, this is an NDA matter, names and all. I agree that "in-game" their names would be known and remembered to this day. However, I can continue to converse here at Candlekeep (at all) only by respecting NDAs - - and sometimes doing so is like walking a tightrope that has a serpentine mind of its own, believe me - - and this is one of those times where we're all just going to have to wait. Geography Often referred to as the "Forest Kingdom", Cormyr was once covered in thick forests. Due to commercial logging and clearing for farming, however, the once great forests are now restricted to the King's Forest in the west, the Hullack Forest in the east and the relatively small Hermit's Wood to the south between Wheloon and the Dragonmere. The Dragonmere, an expanse of water connected to the Sea of Fallen Stars, borders Cormyr to the south. The Storm Horns mountains form a boundary to the north and west of Cormyr, with the Thunder Peaks to the east. The Vast Swamp separates Cormyr from Sembia in the southeast. The Wyvernwater is a large lake in the middle of Cormyr. Cormyr itself is dotted with beacon towers, used to quickly relay messages across the land. Cities and towns All population figures are at 1372 DR, unless otherwise noted. * Suzail (Capital), Population: 45,009. : * Arabel, Population: 30,606. * Dhedluk, Population: 936. * Eveningstar, Population: 954. * Immersea, Population: 1,170. * Marsember, Population: 36,007. * Thunderstone, Population: 1,800. * Tilverton, Population: Empty (see history) * Waymoot, Population: 1,980. * Wheloon, Population: 6,661. Trade Coins of Cormyr Coins in modern, ~1300 DR+, Cormyr are minted in either the Royal Mint in Suzail or the mint in High Horn. Older coins exist that were minted in the Elder Forest Kingdom but these haven't been minted in modern ~1300 DR+ times. Coins are refered to by the following names :Thumbs are copper pieces :Falcons are silver pieces :Lions are gold pieces :Tricrowns are platinum pieces Navy and seafaring Cormyr's official navy vessels are all named after Cormyrian monarchs, such as Valashar's Bane and Queen Besmra whereas the corsairs and privateers use vessel names based on weapons possessed by these rulers, such as Drake's Tooth and Undying Gaze. Lore Azoun and Alusair are/were great rulers and "stomped on the nobility." However, I disagree with his use of "but" in front of "stomped," and his generalized use of "the nobility." As Jerry Davis correctly pointed out, the nobles aren't monolithic: they hold all sorts of different degrees of loyalty and personal like and dislike of the ruler and various Obarskyrs (and for that matter, each other). Inevitably, Realms publications are concerned with adventure and therefore strife, and tend to focus on treason and 'bad' nobles and disputes: by and large, you don't get to see all that much in print of the (vast majority of) 'boring' loyal, law-abiding nobles. Both Azoun and Alusair stomped on PARTICULAR nobles, usually for blatant treason or for defying the Crown in times when the realm was in crisis. If one looks back at the history of Cormyr, one can easily make the case for Azoun and his younger daughter being far more patient and gentle with ah, 'overly independent' nobles than many previous monarchs. The nobles can't force any sort of Magna Carta for two reasons: they aren't a monolithic group (their own feuds and rivalries, between this noble house and that, are far stronger than their disagreements with the Crown), and the Court (the centralized bureaucracy, supported by the War Wizards) are running affairs in Cormyr in such a way that the nobles have no real beefs except what their personal greed and grudges engender: in other words, they don't have enough common, strong discontent to ever rise up and conspire all together. One poster views Cormyr's nobles as being on the verge of overthrowing the Obarskyrs because the "downsizing" of two noble families has brought home to them that their hereditary rights are threatened. A Sembian might well see things this way, and so think every second noble patriarch of Cormyr can be sweet-whispered into open rebellion, but that Sembian would be wrong. All of the Mages Royal (Vangerdahast and his predecessors) have taken great pains to structure the laws of Cormyr, with full support from the heralds, to make it bluntly, explicitly clear that all nobles hold their lands and titles "at the favour of" the Crown. They have personal rights of treatment (the reason why Azoun exiled the noble relatives of actual traitors, instead of beheading them all - - which would have been wiser, for personal security reasons, and also the reason why he turned a blind eye to their hastily packing up and departing with almost all of their wealth and mobile goods, instead of sending Purple Dragons to seize it all at swordpoint), yes, but any monarch of Cormyr can disinherit them on a whim. (Kings of Cormyr have done it before Azoun; he wasn’t breaking any new ground, or law for that matter, when he 'broke' the Bleths and the Cormaerils. There's also a tradition of some disinherited noble individuals winning back their personal standing by their demonstrated loyalty to the realm or the Crown.) Of course, that's how the War Wizards gain the support of the nobles who'd otherwise hate and fear them enough to slay them at every covert chance they got: we, the War Wizards, are YOUR defense against an angry king, or a bad king, or just an Obarskyr who happens to hate your tripes. "I like to give credit though and view if nothing else, Faerun is actually DIFFERENT in morality and not existing in a modern times world morality like so many other fantasy worlds." Now THIS poster has hit the nail on the proverbial head. Exactly. Judge the Realms by its own codes, not by our own modern real-world ones (precisely because so many folks here and elsewhere hold a wide variety of different views, and end up arguing over the Realms in part because they use words to mean different things, and start speaking from their own differing world-views). I fully admit that sometimes it's hard to glean from published Realmslore precisely what those morals are, in a particular place in the Realms, and OF COURSE every DM can cast aside such things to run their own campaign version of Waterdeep or the Dales or Cormyr differently, but the published "shared" version does express, in however confused and fragmented a manner, belief and ethics systems different than our own. (Trust me: I put most of them there.) It's a subtle layer that can readily be ignored by those who want their Realms more clear-cut and simple for their home games - - but should never be ignored by sages of Realmslore (including Realms authors and game designers). The posted comment about Alusair having more "kingly" qualities than her father is an example of this. 'Kingly' by whose standards? Father and daughter were quite alike when young, aside from obvious differences in gender and temper (Azoun has more charm and can keep his cool a trifle longer, and Alusair is more short-tempered and impatient with honeyed words), but Azoun was tempered by Filfaeril's diplomacy and Vangerdahast's dealings, whereas Alusair (as many a child does) rebelled against them. Azoun learned to win more battles with honey than with vinegar, whereas Alusair rejected all the petty, empty words of Court and noble etiquette (of the elder nobles of her father's generation) in favour of riding to hunt and fight and make love and rough-house with the young nobles of her age. She reveled in the opportunity to brawl in actual fistfights with her 'Blades,' and they reveled in their opportunities to not only bed the woman they came to regard as a friend and their rightful social and battlefield leader, but to shape her character - - and so shape the future of the realm to be 'better' than the velvet-tongued intrigues of their own parents (whom THEY were rebelling against). For his part, Vangey approved, as did the senior War Wizards. Oh, Alusair and her Blades had to be watched carefully and constantly to make sure they didn't fall under the influences of the wrong people, but with that precaution met, they were a breath of fresh air thrusting the nobility of the realm (over the years to come) away from decadence and increasing 'unfitness' to more intelligently and energetically support order, prosperity, and good governance throughout the realm. In short, the Blades represented a near-future nobility who (unlike their parents) wouldn't almost all be deterimental-to-commoners drones or veiled traitors (some of whom pursued intrigues as personal entertainment, caring nothing for the good of the realm but not caring much about the harm they might do to it, either). They'd be men who'd roughed it in the wilderlands, been wounded and rescued by their fellows, done messy and demeaning work with their hands and backs - - and so could 'walk the walk' rather than just talking about it. Interestingly (given the converse about Alusair possibly being barren), in my original Realmslore (never touched by TSR because of the Code of Conduct, of course), Vangey told Alusair just that when she started to 'run wild with the boys,' precisely because he didn't want any awkwardness among her partners over such thoughts as: "gee, I might get her pregnant and then the King will literally slay me, only SLOWLY" or "heh-heh: if I get her with child AND get her to love me, I'm damn near 'next king of Cormyr,' aren't I?" to arise. She could sweep such problems away at any time by admitting that she couldn't have children. (Vangey was, of course, applying magical contraception to Alusair from a very young age, without her knowing it. Later, she accepted it willingly - - but may well chafe from time to time over its necessity). Alusair does take commoners as lovers (she's no snob who only likes dashing young nobles), and prefers physically strong men, but Vangey and the other War Wizards (such as Laspeera) have been subtly steering her into building and maintaining her fellowship of Blades over the years. Not eschewing dalliances with commoners, but letting her see, sometimes through planted dream-visions, how important and glorious it could be to forge a fellowship with nobles with whom she could defend the realm in years to come. The other half of the 'kingly' comment puzzles me. Azoun seems "like a Viking ruling over Agincourt"? Now, I PRESUME this doesn't mean a 'Northman raider conquering a bloody battlefield where French knights have fallen riding vainly into the volleys of arrows sent by English yeomen archers,' and that the poster really meant to say something like 'a brawling barbarian lording it over sophisticated, cultured nobles.' If that's the case, I must take great issue with it. The poster seems to be rooting a perception of Azoun (as some sort of barbarian) in a modern-world moral judgement about Azoun's habit of bedding good-looking females who came within reach. Now, Azoun's appetites may have been legendary, but his BEHAVIOUR was nothing unusual for the nobles of Cormyr, many of whom, male and female, also behave like this. It's not to everyone's taste, and there are dignified and 'proper' ways of romancing and ways of flirtation and seduction that are seen as less than tasteful, but among the nobles, who have access to very reliable herbal contraception (and magical contraception, too, via the War Wizards), 'swinging' is not only tolerated but expected. What nobles have to guard against is unintended, unwanted offspring who will have a claim on the family titles and lands (i.e. children born out of wedlock as a result of dalliances with individuals from other noble families). The royals are an exception: EVERY noble family wants more ties with the ruling Obarskyrs, because such exalt their position in the pecking order and their influence at Court. Moreover, except for those he'd made personal enemies of, Azoun IV was VERY popular among both commoners and nobles. He was a handsome, charismatic man, dashing at feasts and on the battlefield alike. He was seen as fair and just, and most importantly as understanding and CARING about every one of his subjects, high and low. He had the knack of getting gruff old men, scared young lads, and worn-ragged housewives alike to sit down and spill their innermost opinions and feelings to, without fearing royal rage or reprisals. He often helped the humble, and always dealt with the common folk fairly. Quite simply, the realm loved him. Nobles older than Azoun IV sniffed and grumbled about him in the usual 'look down our noses at everything' manner, of course, and certain nobles - - those he'd exiled and dispossessed, in particular - - hated or disliked him. However, throughout his reign, Azoun had a handy focus for popular dislike: Vangerdahast. The Royal Magician was the man most folk hated and feared, if they felt ill will towards the Crown at all. Azoun was very likable, so it was easy for folk to blame unpopular things he said and did on the influence (perhaps even mind-governing spells!) of Vangerdahast. So it was almost a matter of pride among female nobles AND their male relations to have a touch or four of "Azoun's favour" among the family babies. Those who didn't want such things, and who had any inkling of the ahem, bestowal of his seed, could call on the contraceptive means available to all nobles (the same means Filfaeril, Tanalasta, Alusair, and Azoun himself could all call upon, given proper prior opportunities). Hence the lack of any "scare" about Azoun (or Alusair, if one suspected her claims to be 'barren' to be so much diplomatic piffle) bedding one's own favoured noble son or daughter. The posted assumption about Chauntea's blessing making Tanalasta very likely to conceive at her first bedding by Rowen (low Cormyrean slang for this is 'ploughing' and nobles call it 'riding,' by the way, for fairly obvious reasons) is correct. Though some 'oldblood' nobles may choose to sniff at the Obarskyrs as behaving like uncultured barbarians (which usually means a particular Obarskyr has made a decree or treaty, or consorted with someone, that the looking-down-their-own-nose noble disagrees with), no Cormyrean alive today (with the possible exception of some long-lived elves who keep low public profiles) truly believes the Obarskyrs are barbarians. Rather, the Obarskyrs ARE the Realm, its founders and its central bloodline. So Azoun IV (who gave his life fighting for all Cormyr, as the War Wizards - - a VERY effective bunch of propagandists, when it suits them -- were very careful to make clear to the entire kingdom, complete with hastily-composed ballads) is an admired hero, more like a revered rock star than any sort of 'barbarian.' Note that I'm NOT saying he was perfect: Ben is quite right to remind us of that and of the legitimate grievances any 'good' character can end up having against a ruler; I'm speaking now of the public perception of Azoun IV. In short, Azoun was very much NOT hated by every noble. Quite the reverse, in fact: he was gallant to the ladies, a good drinking buddy to some of the guys, a sympathetic ear to everyone, an admired war leader, and quietly loaned a lot of the "crusty old brigade" nobles funds or quietly forgave their debts in return for "the noble service" they'd rendered the realm. He was NOT an unsubtle bear of a man, nor stupid. He was very shrewd, though yes, I believe Alusair is a trifle smarter than her father was. Filfaeril is the smartest of them all, by a long rod. Which brings us to the "oh my gosh, look at all of randy Azoun's bastards - - Cormyr totters on the brink of civil war!" discussion. Ascending the throne of Cormyr always involves support from the War Wizards and significant nobles if there is no clear legitimate Obarskyr heir. The moment there is an Obarskyr heir on the scene (assuming that person is seen as healthy enough in mind and body to function as a monarch), everyone, from guilds to Purple Dragons to dungsweepers, will agree that the Obarskyr heir is "the only true King" (or Queen). They might not agree with much enthusiasm, but the alternative is far worse. Remember: no shrewd noble can contemplate a rebellion or civil war as something they'll likely win or even survive. Not with the War Wizards as an integral part of the realm, and Purple Dragons around who have personal loyalty to Alusair and to the memory of Azoun IV. And the nobles are 'on top' in the status quo: any attack on the status quo threatens them more than anyone else. Rather than shattering your own beloved homeland in a bloody war, it's much more desirable to befriend and aid the Steel Regent, earn her respect and approval, and be as close as possible to Azoun V as he grows up, so as to win HIS respect and friendship. And everyone can see that Alusair's TRYING to become more diplomatic, and to do what's best for the realm. For one thing, she visits scores of places and directly asks the advice of everyone, nobles and commoners alike, wanting to know what angers them WITHOUT filtering everything through 'local lords' and courtiers. She makes promises and keeps them. It's taking a long time for some folks to accept the 'new Alusair,' but most of them see her as "the best thing the gods sent us, if they had to take her father away from us." So having scores of Azoun IV's bastards running around is seen (by Vangey and others) as "strengthening the bloodlines of the Realm," not "thrusting the realm straight into civil war." If there were only one or two bastards, perhaps they'd represent a threat to the current holder of the throne (if backed by the right private armies and handlers, possibly traitor-nobles or ambitious Sembians). However, there are more than a hundred bastard sons and daughters of Azoun IV, and most noble families have at least one - - so they all offset each other by their very wealth of numbers. And yes, Vangey and all of the senior War Wizards (not just Laspeera and Caladnei) know very well who and where ALL of Azoun's bastards are. Not to mention those of Bhereu, Thomdor, Rhigaerd II, and so on and so forth. :} What has weakened Cormyr so much in these last few years is the war against the Devil Dragon (and the ghazneths and goblins). So many able-bodied fighting men and women lost their lives that the realm lies vulnerable to poor harvests and starvation (not enough folk left to tend and harvest enough fields), to Zhent and outlaw raiders out of the Stonelands (particularly once Shade appeared and such lurkers stopped thinking of the Stonelands as their pivate, cozy little impenetrable stronghold), and from various Sembian-sponsored attempts to grab land and set up (through bribery) puppet rulers, Court officials, and nobles. Add to this the ambitions of nobles (and exiled former nobles, operating primarily out of Westgate) seeking to gain power or take control of the infant Azoun V and thereby rule of the kingdom, and you have the present tense situation. (My REALMS OF SHADOW short story should serve to illustrate potential threats, and ELMINSTER'S DAUGHTER show something of the 'business as usual, conspiracies as usual' tenor of life in Cormyr.) The retirement of Vangerdahast has left Alusair seemingly alone to guide Cormyr (I say "seemingly" because to think thus is to seriously underestimate Laspeera, Caladnei, Filfaeril, Alaphondar, and the Highknights such as Rhauligan), and so everyone with an interest in a weakened Cormyr, or in controlling its ruler, is taking a keen look at the Forest Kingdom. Such gazers would of course include various Red Wizard and Zhent factions, trading costers, and Sembian nobles. (It's also fair to say that Caladnei is very much "learning on the job" and a much weaker Royal Magician than Vangey was, that Alaphondar the Sage is about as far as one can get from a strong man of action, and that there are frighteningly few veteran Highknights still alive after the Dragon War. A competent War Wizard gone rogue would be a REAL problem for Cormyr, just now.) Alusair’s 'wanton' behaviour has earned her the disapproval of the older, more conservative nobles (NOT her Blades or the female nobles of the same age, most of whom were very glad to have Alusair take the 'randy pranksome pesterers with wandering hands' out of their bodices and from under their skirts at every revel or 'private' moment), of the city gossips who delight in disapproving of darn near EVERYTHING, and of the more conservative commoners (who DO have to worry about unwanted offspring, or may follow faiths that don't smile upon frequent and casual lovemaking), but that doesn't make her "unpopular." It's more that her abrasiveness has made her a lot of enemies, and her ways have made most people wary of her. That's a long way from all Cormyr wanting her gone and overthrown as Regent. Now, if she were to publicly butcher Azoun V and announce she was now Queen forever, that would be VERY different. Nor does the loss of Tilverton reflect badly on Alusair - - because many folk of Cormyr think of it as some foreign fort or other, occupied by the Purple Dragons "just to keep the Zhents off our backs," not as part of the realm. Unless you (as a citizen of Cormyr) travel to and from the northern Dales, Tilverton is just (to you) "that rough and ragged place in Tilver's Gap," that Azoun's troops occupied as a protectorate. In the wake of the war against the Devil Dragon, with the Purple Dragons a pale shadow of their former strength, it merely makes sense to pull back from such outposts to rebuild Arabel and "guard our cabbages right outside our own doors." (Jason quite properly reminded us of how recent its annexation was, and how folk in the heart of Cormyr would regard its loss.) Arabel and Marsember have traditionally been centers of undercover dissent, but with some of the nobles who built such feelings into undercover 'secret societies' and the like gone, this has largely lapsed into the age-old rivalries between cities ("Ah, them as sleeps in Suzail think the sun rises and sets out o' their own backsides, an' never think we of Arabel might have two wits of our own, in all our city!"). The folk of Arabel love the staunchly loyal Myrmeen Lhal, and the fierce energy with which Dowager Queen Filfaeril oversaw the rebuilding of Arabel, "the gem of our realm," has touched and mollified Arabellans. The strong garrison has remained there, and for the time being, I'd scratch Arabel off any list of 'places that'll rebel the moment an Obarskyr back is turned.' Marsember, now, is a different matter: exiled nobles are just across the water in Westgate, and all the old smuggling and slave-running concerns that want all authority gone or swept in confusion are still lurking. With Sembian investments in their pockets, yet. One last thing for now: one poster makes the mistaken assumption that commoners aren't trained in the arts of war or familiar with weapons. Not only are knives, scythes, and the tools of hunting (slings, javelins, bows, and boar-spears) all weapons many farm-folk are very familiar with, Purple Dragons are encouraged to train their children (both genders) and mates in how to raise the alarum, how to defend their home, where locally to run and hide and gather, and the basics of armed fighting. That's different from allowing everyone to swagger around with weapons at their belts, yes, but the original 'unfamiliar with weapons' assumption is incorrect. Smokepowder Smokepowder: importing this into Cormyr requires a Crown license and a full explanation (to a senior War Wizard, such as Vangerdahast, Laspeera, or one of the six or so mages a single step down from them, plus Alaphondar or a Court clerk) of what the smokepowder is required FOR, where it will be stored, how and how soon it will be used, and so on. In the case of someone officially trying to conquer the Stonelands, approval will be automatic so long as the Crown is satisfied the smokepowder will be well-guarded enough that it won't immediately fall into Zhent hands. The interview process will be kept as secret as possible (to keep it from the ears of nobles who might be contemplating treason), and the license may come with any conditions you as DM might want to add (can't take it south of Waymoot, for example, or into Arabel for any reason), and costs 500 gp, which pays for the deployment of two War Wizards (and two Purple Dragon bodyguards/assistants) who become full-time spies watching over the smokepowder in the possession of your PCs. The precise strength of this 'watch' over the smokepowder won't be shared with the PCs, but they will be warned that selling, giving away, or moving and hiding the smokepowder (particularly if they try to split it up and put small amounts in many places) will result in its confiscation. What they won't be warned about is that if this confiscation occurs, it will be done by dozens of War Wizards with Purple Dragon bodyguards, all of them acting with alertness, weapon and spell readiness, and ruthlessness in keeping with full "at war" orders. As for PCs creating their own: anyone trying to become Baron of the Stonelands is already under covert magical surveillance by War Wizards, and if they report the making of more than about a handkeg's volume of smokepowder, the PCs will VERY swiftly receive a visit from an unamused Court official (bolstered by all of the above persons) with a demand for purchase of a license and assumption of all the conditions described above. Unless confiscating, the Crown takes none of the smokepowder. (However, any authorities who discover stored smokepowder whose ownership is uncertain or denied WILL call in War Wizards to remove or destroy it.) Clockworks Lantanna-made clockworks of great complexity are known (but on the mainland of Faerun, mainly as rumors). Many nobles have quite complex toys, clocks, and even water clocks. However, clockwork 'tin soldiers' are another matter, thanks to the severe weather and the tasks a garrison must perform. If the PCs want "dummy soldiers" who can march along the battlements, or move in very simple formations to block an entry arch, lower pikes, and fire (not aim) loaded crossbows, fine. If PCs want to rig a means of replacing the windlass each crossbow requires with a "mass-cranking" mechanism, also fine. If PCs want (very slow) motive power for simple wagons or handcarts (not steering), or a means of helping them load (cart-mounted cranes and winches), fine again. Everything else is going to be beyond the machining competence or maintenance time (all that oiling!) of a lone Lantanna expert. Mechanicals can't run on uneven ground/stairs, use the judgement of living warriors (aiming at a visible foe, for example), react with speed to enemy tactics, or anything of the sort. If the intent is to create 'metal-men' who ape the movements of a human controller (telefactoring), a lot (years!) of spell research will be necessary, and/or a lot of space (courtyards and large chambers, not confined passages or small rooms) will be needed for a cluster of rod-and-link driven mechanicals to surround the human operator, and move/act as a unit. As a DM, I'm growing an evil grin at the mere thought of PCs getting themselves into all those tin-soldier headaches... Mechanicals that sprout from the faces of doors, now, and carry out repeated movements ("threshing blades," or "fire arrow after arrow in repeating high-medium-low, high-medium-low spray fire patterns down a passage"), YES, these are quite practical. And deadly. Now my grin is changing. Other People The Lord is Lord Sardamon Thorland, one of Cormyr's few mining magnates (he owns at least six rich iron and silver mines in westernmost Cormyr). His blazon, simplified on that badge, commemorates divine defeat of dwarves, centuries ago, that helped one of his ancestors retain one of the first Thorland-dug mines. The Thorlands are reclusive, having a great distaste for Suzail and for politics Other stuff “I give my loyal service unfailingly to the Mage Royal of Cormyr, in full obedience of speech and action, that peace and order shall prevail in the Forest Kingdom, that magic of mine and others be used and not misused. I do this in trust that the Mage Royal shall unswervingly serve the throne of Cormyr, and if the Mage Royal should fall, or fail the Crown and Throne, my obedience shall be to the sovereign directly. Whenever there is doubt and dispute, I shall act to preserve Cormyr. Sunrise and moonfall, as long as my breath takes and my eyes see, I serve Cormyr. I pledge my life that the realm endure.” —The Oath of the War Wizard Titles, ranks, positions, and honors are awarded in Cormyr for services great and small. Some are of little consequence to adventurers, who usually have no interest in being named Underscribe of the Understair or Lord Keeper of the Virgin Wood. Other adventurers, however, might—through no fault of their own—end up working in the direct service of Cormyr and its monarch, King Foril. In doing so, they might be honored with ranks or titles, or with positions of authority and command, especially as they rise to national importance and take on threats to the kingdom. Descriptions of the most important of these titles appear below. Each bears with it duties, privileges, and adventuring opportunities that otherwise might be closed off to adventurers with less interest in serving Cormyr in an official capacity. Because few heroes might wish to be weighed down by such responsibility, the option exists to delay an appointment or investiture of nobility until after one’s retirement. Registration as Title Even in the absence of a rank of honor or a title of nobility, most adventurers are already registered, in one form or another, with the Crown of Cormyr if they wish to operate within the kingdom. This registration carries certain responsibilities, but also grants certain rights. Chartered Adventurers The most common form of registration is that of a chartered adventuring company. Once prohibitively expensive for all but the most successful of adventuring bands, a charter now costs a mere 25 gp (renewable annually) for a party of between five and thirty adventurers, although the Crown encourages groups of more than a dozen to register as mercenary bands. A charter for adventuring permits the bearers to wield and carry weapons openly—although they must still obey laws of peace-bonding weapons within cities and towns—as well as allowing the heroes to accept contracts for defense of legitimate persons. A company that fails to renew is declared outlaw and can be hunted down by any chartered company. Successful adventuring companies can seek a full royal charter, signed by the king’s hand. Such charters cost upward of 1,000 gp. Any adventuring company can, by royal decree, have its charter revoked for treason or other crimes. More often, the Crown raises the charter renewal levy so high that the company cannot afford its fee, and its members must disband or become outlaws. Mercenary Companies Typically larger than a chartered adventuring band, a mercenary company has the same rights as one, is permitted to maintain a larger roll of members (thirty standing members, plus up to one hundred recruits in times of crisis), and has more latitude in recruitment and reporting to the Crown. The price for this freedom is steep: 20,000 gp for the initial charter, with an annual renewal fee of 3,000 gp (plus 25 gp for each individual who was temporarily recruited over the last year). Registered Mages Every wizard, sorcerer, warlock, or anyone else capable of casting powerful, destructive spells of arcane magic must register with a local lord, a herald, or the War Wizards. Registered spellcasters are allowed to practice openly and can be approached by the Crown for research, hired spellcasting, other assignments or recruitment into the War Wizards. Registered mages can attend the monthly meetings of the Council of Mages, and those who acquit themselves well might be asked to join the Mage Councilors. A spellcaster who refuses to register can function legally without fear of punishment, but such a person who is found to have slain another with magic, or otherwise broken Cormyr’s laws, can be marked a renegade mage. Such individuals are hunted with impunity by the War Wizards, and can be captured by chartered adventurers and registered spellcasters without fear of Crown reprisal. Spellcasters who are members of a chartered adventuring band are automatically registered under the group’s charter, and need not fear the War Wizards seeking them out. KNOW THE LAND The titles in this article are presented with their current holders named, if those positions are filled. This is not to suggest that a worthy, ambitious servant of the Dragon Throne might not succeed one of these nobles. A number of officers of the realm are on the cusp of retirement, and mishap or treachery might cause other positions to open up. Whether for the sake of supplanting an existing noble or just learning the landscape, every social climber and worthy noble knows who holds power, who is higher than whom on society’s ladder, and the best means of climbing it oneself. An officer of Cormyr would do well to learn the significance of the important titles, and be aware of whom to obey when the time comes. Politics is a dangerous business, and don’t doubt for a moment that the Cormyrean military and its War Wizards are political arenas just as much as the Royal Court. Titles of Nobility At the top of the pyramid of title and privilege in Cormyr is the nobility: the heredity bearers of authority of the realm, charged with safeguarding its people and serving its crowned heads. Duties and Privileges Nobility carries with it a number of benefits. Nobles can keep armed retinues (the extent of which is determined by the family, the title, when it was issued, and the relevant royal proclamations), maintain fortified residences, hire mercenary bands, pass heraldic blazons to their children, and serve as de facto officers in the Purple Dragons. They have the power to detain or arrest—but not to put on trial or punish—commoners who commit crimes on their lands or in their presence, as well as the ability to petition and advise the Crown directly, without the need to find an advocate at Court. Unlike common Cormyreans, nobles can walk with weapons unbonded, although this is customarily seen with decorative court swords and not true, battle-ready blades. In return for these rights and privileges, every noble must swear fealty directly to both the monarch and the Crown. He or she must maintain a retinue for conscription into the Purple Dragons, in addition to being prepared to serve actively (or to fund an appropriate body of soldiers). Nobles also pay taxes to the Crown based on the expected level of wealth for their station and holdings; rather than being subject to the “indignity” of a visit from the royal exchequer, each noble is assigned a sum (which of course all nobles consider far too high) that he or she must pay the Crown’s coffers. Nobles do not have the right to swear individuals to their personal service or the service of their families, nor can they accept oaths of fealty from other nobles. Titles The nobility of Cormyr is organized into a loose hierarchy consisting of several distinct ranks, which are granted by the monarch. Although familial loyalties, debts of honor, property or service, and binding contracts require nobles to fulfill an obligation to their fellows, none are permitted to swear oaths of fealty to any but the king. In earlier generations, when nobles were entitled to amass their own personal armies, their titles delineated just how large a force an individual family might muster. Now, though the hierarchy remains, it has little real impact on just how powerful a family is (that is, of course, outside social circles). The nobles of Cormyr owe their fealty to the monarch of the realm, currently King Foril Obarskyr. A female monarch is known as a queen, as is the wife of a king (a ruling queen’s husband is a prince-consort). Their children are the princes and princesses of the kingdom, with the heir apparent being known as the crown prince or crown princess. The reigning monarch might wear any number of crowns at different times (there have been a large number of crowns throughout Cormyr’s history), but the favored is the three-spired golden Crown of Rhiiman, each spire with an amethyst set onto it. The immediate heir to the throne, by ancient tradition, wears only a simple, golden circlet. The current heir to the throne is Crown Prince Irvel Obarskyr. Below the royal family are the dukes and duchesses of the realm. Even influential nobles almost never attain this rank, which is usually reserved for relatives of the monarch (including the heads of Houses Truesilver and Crownsilver, who hold ancient blood ties to the Crown). Occasionally, however, a great hero might be raised to the title of duke, with a lesser title being passed to his offspring. When Crown Prince Irvel’s son Baerovus ascends the Dragon Throne after his father, his sister Princess Raedra will be known as duchess royal, as will any other princes and princesses of the realm who do not rule. At present, in addition to the royal houses, only the heads of House Illance and House Marliir hold the rank of duke. Immediately below these nobles are the ranks of marchion and marchioness. Granted more rarely than the rank of duke, they are traditionally bestowed upon nobles that serve the crown as frontier lords in dangerous territories—a sort of service that Cormyr has not truly required for years. The acquisition of such a noble title is considered to be a great honor, though the heirs to the peerage created by the rank are invariably of a lesser rank, usually earls or barons, rather than inheriting the full rank of their invested parents. Next lower in the social hierarchy are the earls (never “counts,” because of possible confusion with the title “corount”) and countesses (who are addressed as “Lady,” except by heralds and court scribes), who make up a goodly number of the eldest noble houses of the realm. Those families that trace their claims of nobility to other kingdoms, namely Marsember or Esparin, were once ranked as counts, but this usage has since died out along with the families that bore the titles. Viscounts and viscountesses sit below the earls of the kingdom, with barons and baronesses below them. The next lower in the hierarchy are baronets and baronetesses. Noble houses more than three generations old are populated by more nobles of this rank than any other, thanks to the means by which noble titles are distributed after the death of a title-holder. At the bottom of the noble ranks is the knight. This title is applied to both men and women, but as a form of address, females are styled “Lady Knight.” Knights do not inherit their titles, nor do they pass them to their offspring; a knighthood is earned through service to the Crown. Although knights do not gain the markers of rank of true nobles, they are officers of the Purple Dragons, with the ability to command obedience as a swordcaptain that outranks the higher baronets. Titles below the rank of duke are associated with a specific region of Cormyr or its immediate environs. Although this association brings no true authority over that region, most nobles make a token attempt to maintain a residence, or at least a small building to use as a retreat, within the nominal area of their realms. Family Rulership Within each named family—regardless of how many members of a given house hold noble titles of their own—the members answer to a single, recognized head who is formally responsible before the Crown for the family’s actions. The head of a noble house is treated with respect by officials of the realm and by other nobles, effectively honoring the noble as though he possessed a title one rank higher. The head of a house is the most direct descendant of the house’s founder and does not necessarily hold the highest noble rank in a given house. It is possible for noble houses to fracture, particularly when a younger line of the house is elevated to a higher rank of nobility. In such cases, either the house must recognize the new titleholder as the lord or lady of the family, or the newly elevated noble must separate and found a new house, with a new name to be presented at Court. Extraordinary Titles The Crown frequently creates titles that cannot be passed on to descendants or other inheritors. Such grants, known as extraordinary titles, do not persist beyond the death of the bearer. These titles are the customary means of rewarding nonhuman servants of the kingdom, who cannot truly be accepted by the human nobility (due to longevity, odd abilities, or sheer racism), but are willing to accept the honor of being named a trusted defender of the Crown. On Matters of Inheritance A hereditary noble’s title is affected most strongly by the circumstances of that noble’s birth: the rank of the parent holding the relevant title, the order of birth, and the family’s position with the Crown. Until they ascend to a title in their own right (by the death of a relative or a direct award of a title), nobles are treated as possessors of a courtesy title one or more ranks lower than that of the noble parent: the first children of dukes and marchions are earls and countesses; the first children of earls are viscounts; the first children of viscounts are barons; and the first children of barons are baronets, with descending titles for younger children based on the various included titles of the parent. When a noble dies, his or her titles pass to the children, in roughly the same order that their courtesy titles were assigned (a number of royal grants have special terms by which this is done). When the direct heir assumes the title of the deceased parent and ascends in rank, younger children officially assume the rank which they held in courtesy while their parent lived. Over generations, this process repeats, such that most members of a given noble family are ranked as baronets, with other titles distributed among the various branches of the house. Markers and Symbols In addition to the heraldic devices possessed by every noble family, each noble who holds a title in his or her own right (that is, a noble who carries a true title, and not a courtesy title from a relative) also possesses a crown of rank. This crown is a two-spired circlet of steel, onto which are welded different ornaments to delineate increased rank. Higher-titled nobles have their crowns plated in silver, and later gilded, to mark their status. Nobles and the Purple Dragons Nobles, by virtue of their rank and position, hold authority over the Purple Dragons in time of war or crisis. The rank and file must obey nobles as though they were swordcaptains, because the nobles by definition hold a title of at least baronet. Earls hold the authority of ornrions, as do the heads of the noble houses. Dukes of the realm command with the authority of overswords. Actual, ranked officers hold greater authority than nobles of “equivalent” rank, but in practice, the rank and file of the Purple Dragons first obey their immediate superiors, and follow the lead of firstswords and swordcaptains in determining whether the noble barking orders has the necessary wits to command soldiers. Crownsilver, Illance, Rowanmantle, and Truesilver nobles are usually esteemed above their rank by the Dragons around them. In contrast, the Dracohorns are currently so poorly regarded by Cormyr’s soldiery that, if placed at the head of an army, they might be giving orders to companies of men afflicted with selective deafness. Military Hierarchy Joining Cormyr’s military is a simple affair: show up, demonstrate the ability to march in armor and swing a weapon competently, and take an oath. Unlike with the nobility, the ranks of the Purple Dragons are a straightforward vertical organization, in which each person knows to whom he or she answers. Service and Sacrifice Purple Dragons are expected to fight and, if necessary, die for the Forest Kingdom. Those who serve in the armies of Cormyr do so on a year-round basis, engaging in regular skirmishes with humanoid bands and roving bandits, training in the kingdom’s forts, or policing the streets of its cities and towns. Some of the membership serves on detached duty, ready to be called back into service at a moment’s notice, but otherwise free to pursue other, more specialized missions in the service of the Crown, whether it be in the company of a highknight or a War Wizard, as the bodyguard to a noble or envoy, or as part of an elite cadre of Crown agents in service to the Court. Such adventuring Purple Dragons are rare, but they do exist, and among them are numbered some of the greatest (if unsung) heroes of the realm. Through the Ranks Rank-and-file Purple Dragons begin their tenure as blades, or typical foot soldiers. Blades have no authority of their own beyond the power to make arrests or challenge intruders while on duty. A veteran blade, or a Purple Dragon who has experience as a mercenary or an adventurer, can be awarded the rank of telsword, with the power to lead small patrols of up to half a dozen blades. A firstsword is the senior soldier and leader of a small force (typically fewer than a dozen, though it can number as high as twenty). A firstsword has the authority to make reports, give testimony, disarm and detain unchartered adventurers, and otherwise operate without strict supervision. Serving under royal warrant, the swordcaptain is the lowest rank of officer in the Purple Dragons. Swordcaptains serve as the heads of companies of soldiers, as lieutenants to commissioned officers, as patrol captains and shift officers, and in any number of other roles within the military. Swordcaptains have the right to wear weapons unbound when they’re not on official duty, and can swear soldiers into the service of the Crown. They also have the power to promote a blade to the rank of telsword, and to recommend the promotion of a telsword to firstsword. Lionar is the lowest commissioned rank in the army of the Purple Dragon, and it is a position of great trust. In addition to commanding over one hundred soldiers trained to fight for the realm, lionars can promote or strip of rank any subordinate Purple Dragon (although, in the case of a swordcaptain, only on a temporary basis), can accept soldiers into service, and can requisition from the Crown additional supplies of food, tents, and weapons. An ornrion is an officer of middling rank, often assigned as a lieutenant to a higher-ranking officer or as a commander over a larger company of Purple Dragons. Ornrions can issue warrants of swordcaptaincy, can strip such warrants, and can deny pay—or expel entirely—Purple Dragons for offenses against their fellows. Officers of high rank, constals command full brigades of troops, and are either of noble birth or invested with a title of full nobility before being assigned such a weighty task. A constal can issue and strip commissions of lower officers, and can overturn the decisions of lesser officers. The general officers of the realm use two ranks: the older oversword and the newer, more elevated battlemaster. Although battlemasters are formally above overswords in the ranking structure, overswords serve as garrison commanders and leaders of fortifications, whereas battlemasters are responsible for the handling of mobile troops and the gathering of disparate companies into cohesive armies during times of war. An oversword or a battlemaster has the authority to execute a member of the Purple Dragons for mutiny, and to bring charges of desertion against nobles serving with their armies. Within the kingdom, wardship or another military title is given over different regions of the nation. Currently, the Eastern Marches (which include Hullack, the area around Tilverton, and the area east of Arabel) are protected by the Warden of the Eastern Marches. The Warden answers only to the king and to the High Marshal of the realm. The current Warden is Warvred Emmarask, who operates out of Castle Crag, and was dubbed an earl when he was assigned the post by King Foril. There was rumor of such a post being created for the Northern Marches (to include, among other areas, the Goblin Marches and the Stonelands) under the kings Azoun IV and V, but this has never come to pass. The highest officer in the realm, answering only to the king, is High Marshal of the Kingdom. Currently, this position is filled by Crown Prince Irvel, who wears a variation of the High Marshal’s badge on his tabard when he rides at the head of a Purple Dragon patrol. Markers and Symbols The Purple Dragons wear a basic uniform composed of a white tabard emblazoned with the purple dragon device of Cormyr. On the left shoulder is embroidered a shield-shaped badge depicting the soldier’s rank, which is sewn and outlined so that it is clearly visible and recognizable from a short distance. Other markers—such as a company badge, or representations of honors received by a soldier—appear on the left breast, above the edge of the shield device. The nation’s navy, the Blue Dragons, uses the same ranks as the army does, although most sailors are telswords, and swordcaptains are not often present on board ships. The Blue Dragons use a blue dragon device on their tabards, which are seldom worn except in port. Nobles who are serving with the Purple Dragons (with or without formal rank) have war helms specially constructed to represent their crown of noble title, so they are easily recognized in the chaos of the battlefield. Wizardly Ranks and Titles Wizards and other arcane casters abound in Cormyr, whether occupied in shoring up its defenses, creating magic items, or inadvertently unleashing ancient, unspeakable horrors upon the populace. Cormyr is a land of magic, and its inhabitants long ago learned to honor—and fear—the power that magic brings its wielders. War Wizards The Brotherhood of Wizards of War is the spellcasting arm of Cormyr’s defense. The War Wizards’ numbers are not known accurately by any living beings except Ganrahast and Lord Warder Vainrence. It is suspected that the group now numbers between five hundred and twelve hundred mages. Given that War Wizards perform so many different functions—from research and item creation, to the reinforcement of palace wards, to espionage, TITLES AND ADVENTURING PARTIES Player characters represent the rarest of beings, individuals of great personal power who amass influence and wealth at a far greater rate than others. Because of this fact, as the Crown recognizes their contributions to the realm and seeks to reward and maintain their loyalty and service, adventurers can easily rise in rank or gather titles. Although these ranks can be used as powerful story awards, great care should be taken not to allow a granted title to disrupt the flow of gameplay. Ranks and titles are meant to enrich roleplaying opportunities, not to allow one character to literally lord over the people he or she encounters. If multiple members of a single party possess different ranks or titles from the Crown, that state of affairs can create interesting situations and social encounters, but the game shouldn’t be permitted to descend into player debates about whose title outstrips the others. For example, it’s entirely feasible to have a party with a lionar warlord, a War Wizard, a highknight rogue, and a fighter who is a member of a noble house. Whereas the noble’s access or the War Wizard’s responsibilities might open doors for the group, and the lionar might have troops at his command, there’s nothing heroic about spending an entire gaming session debating who is “in charge.” Unless, of course, your group enjoys that sort of thing, in which case, have at it! Just remember to keep the debates in character. to battlefield aid—any attempts to narrow the estimate are too speculative to be of any real use. Since Foril’s reign began, an increasing number of swordmages have joined the brotherhood, leading to a more military bent to its philosophies and operations. The War Wizards have no outwardly discernible hierarchy of command. Each War Wizard knows to whom he or she answers thanks to the meticulously worded commands of their superiors, the Royal Magician and the Lord Warder. They stand outside the chain of command of the Purple Dragons, even when attached directly to a unit, and can be called away from that group on more urgent matters at a moment’s notice. Alarphons The only formal rank within the War Wizards is that of alarphon. The internal investigators of the War Wizards, alarphons are empowered to ask questions and engage in magical interrogation of their own number in order to ferret out treachery and learn whether other members of the brotherhood have not been forthcoming with information important to the protection of the realm. Whether this reluctance is due to perfidy or mere stupidity, sometimes the realm must be defended from its own protectors, and the alarphons are charged with that defense. Lord Warder The first recipient of this new title under Royal Magician Ganrahast, Lord Warder Vainrence is the battlefield commander of the War Wizards, reinforcing the brotherhood’s new role in the active defense of the realm. The Lord Warder answers to the Royal Magician, to the Court Wizard (if different from the Royal Magician), and to the Crown; in military matters, the Lord Warder also submits to the High Marshal. Royal Magician In his capacity as Royal Magician or Mage Royal—but never “royal mage”—Ganrahast is responsible for the overall magical well-being of the realm, the defense of the royal family (including the construction of magical wards for the palace), providing advice to the monarch, and seeing to the proper education of future rulers. He is also the absolute authority on issues of magical use in Cormyr, and the commanders of the War Wizards are subordinate to him. Although Royal Magician is not officially a hereditary title, all of Cormyr’s mages royal have been descendants of the first Royal Magician, Baerauble Etharr, and his eladrin bride, Alea Dahast. The only possible exception to this succession—depending on whom you believe—was Caladnei, who came into the position after her appointment by Vangerdahast. In spite of rumors about Caladnei’s true lineage, in the whole of Cormyr’s history, only three decades have seen a Mage Royal not of Baerauble’s line. Mage Councilors The Council of Mages meets on the fourteenth day of each month at the Royal Court in Suzail. At each meeting, royal proclamations relevant to the use of magic are made public, matters of employment for workers of magic are discussed, and mages—including the War Wizards—accept inquiries for service or advertise their need for the assistance of other spellcasters. The mages councilor of the kingdom are selected from among the wisest and most capable wizards, sorcerers, swordmages, and other registered arcane spellcasters of Cormyr. The council also advises the king, through the office of Court Wizard. Court Wizard The Court Wizard oversees the Council of Mages. He or she is responsible for its operation, the appointment of new members to the group, the registration of mages in the Forest Kingdom, and advising the Crown on matters of magical concern. Because the War Wizards fall under the authority of the Council of Mages, the Court Wizard is also responsible for selecting its commander, who then reports to the Royal Magician. To add to the complexity, the Court Wizard is bound to obey the king and his family (spouse and children), whereas the Mage Royal answers only to the king and the Court Wizard. This conflict of authority has meant that most Royal Magicians have officially served as Court Wizard as well. Except during a brief period in his youth, Royal Magician Ganrahast has also been Court Wizard, and so owes his obedience only to King Foril. Spies and Agents The Crown engages any number of individual agents, spies, courtiers, informants, and observers to protect its interests and the safety of the realm. Although most loyal servants go unheralded or die unnoticed in pursuit of missions for the Dragon Throne, one group is officially known and bears the formal authority of the king when it investigates matters. Although it is not technically a rank of nobility, highknight is a title devised by Vangerdahast and Filfaeril, created during the reign of Azoun IV. It is a rank of service, denoting the faith of the Crown in the recipient and the loyalty of the individual receiving it. Each highknight is also a knight of the realm—and entitled to the privileges that title carries—but can command obedience from knights as well as commoners. A highknight can question any subject of the realm, including the highest nobles, and accuse (with evidence) anyone of a crime. SLANG AND EPITHETS A great number of insults, compliments, and oaths have been formed over the years in response to various shifts in titles and rank. A few slang terms currently in use by, or employed in reference to, servants of the realm include these. Count: A defunct title, equivalent in rank to earl. Now used derisively to refer to the useless husband of a noblewoman of any rank. Highnose: An effete or snooty noble. Lackshield: A Purple Dragon that has been stripped of rank. Or, a noble in command of Purple Dragons who holds no true rank. Oldblood: Said of a noble house of great age and respected reputation. Red Dragon: A traitor to the kingdom (from the device of Salember, the Rebel Prince). Swordlord: A respected Purple Dragon officer (or a noble serving as commander of Purple Dragons); used to elevate the subject in the eyes of the listener. Spellbeggar: A War Wizard’s insulting term for clerics and other divine spellcasters. Positional and Unique Titles Woven throughout the levels of hierarchy in Cormyr are a number of posts, appointments, and unique titles that interact with the officers and nobles of the realm, standing outside their circles but nonetheless holding influence over them. King’s Lords Scattered across the realm are cities, towns, and smaller settlements ruled by the King’s Lords—those people appointed as governors, to speak for the Crown, dispense justice, collect taxes, and organize the defense of the realm. A noble of at least baron rank (whether inherited or appointed), a King’s Lord is the ultimate authority in a governed area, overseeing trials of accused criminals, appointing guard captains and other officers, and otherwise making sure that King Foril’s will is carried out. Heralds Each lord is aided in his or her (“Lord” is applied to both male and female holders of the post) duties by an appointed herald. Not to be confused with the High Heralds, who maintain the proper succession of titles across Faerûn, these officials are responsible for keeping the lord’s records of taxation, births, and deaths; the licensing of certain merchants and businesses; the registration of local mages; and the distribution of pay to the lord’s guards, garrisons, and clerks. From time to time an experienced herald is elevated to lord of his or her city or town because of the intimate knowledge that individual possesses of the region. Lord Commanders The highest resident officers at their respective fortifications, the lord commanders of the kingdom are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the realm’s castles and forts, the welfare of the men garrisoned there, and the proper defense of the passes and roads over which they are meant to guard. Oversword Raoulas Cormaeril, Lord Commander of High Horn Hold, holds the most coveted of these posts. Baron of the Stonelands For more than one hundred years, the Dragon Throne has promised the title Baron of the Stonelands to anyone that can fortify a keep in the Stonelands, maintain a retinue of armed soldiers, and prove—through the capture or slaying of bandits and killing of humanoids and monsters—that they can defend a parcel of the region for at least a full year. The reward for this endeavor is great: the formal title of baron and the equivalent rank of oversword in the Purple Dragons, with a hefty stipend to maintain their outpost. To date, none have succeeded, and no one has tried for more than two decades. Court Titles More than one hundred unique court titles are assigned to various pages, officers, clerks, and other staff at the Royal Court or working in the Palace of the Purple Dragon. Most people see little honor in the titles of royal cellarer, protocol chamberlain, chatelaine, or seneschal, but these people are vital to the maintenance of the realm’s grandeur. One such court title, however, has vastly increased in influence over the last three hundred years. Royal Sage Most Learned Over the last few centuries, no title has grown in importance or prestige as has the Royal Sage Most Learned to the Royal Court. Officially, the Sage is the kingdom’s expert on law, history, and languages—and each of the Sages has performed that task admirably. Unofficially, the Royal Sage has become one of the most trusted advisors to the Crown, advising on matters of diplomacy and etiquette, as well as studying more obscure bits of magical history and lore to better understand the wards protecting the royal buildings. The current Royal Sage Most Learned is Ossani Eveningspire. Defender This special honorific is granted by the Crown to elevate the bearer to a special status: a noble who has formal military rank as well. Although a defender might conceivably hold any particular noble and military rank, in practice, a typical holder of the title is both a baron of the realm and a constal of the Purple Dragons. Corount Among oldest words the Common tongue, a corount is an officer—either a courtier or military commander— temporarily elevated to the ranks of the nobility by the Crown after the rightful holder of the title has suddenly died, gone missing, or become incapacitated, and the throne wishes to investigate before assigning a successor or more permanent replacement. Effectively a form of regency for a noble house, only trusted agents are named corounts, to ensure that the appointment is truly temporary. Every nation worthy of the name has its swords of kingship. Tethyr, Impiltur, elven Myth Drannor, and the undersea realms as well . . . even some of the petty baronies of the Border Kingdoms boast blades whose ownership proves the right to rule. Cormyr is blessed with four such weapons—and two others besides if they are ever found. Many warriors hope for the chance to wield such fine steel once in their lives, or they hope to cut down those foolish enough to try to raid the royal grounds and escape with these blades. Still others seek the Lost Blades avidly so that they can better serve the Forest Kingdom or strike down the Obarskyr line and claim the Dragon Throne themselves. The Four Swords The four Swords of State rest in the Shrine of the Four Swords, which is down the long public corridor from the Chamber of the Purple Dragon in the Royal Court (see “Cormyr Royale” in Dungeon 198 for details about the shrine). The swords rest on raised, velvet-covered plinths beneath magic crystal domes that sound out alarms in certain circumstances. Each is sheathed in a fine scabbard that is decorated with exquisite, expertly cut sapphires. People come to pray beside the swords, whispering secret desires and asking for guidance, fortitude, or luck in upcoming endeavors. Each of the royal blades has its own function and duty. Ansrivarr is as old as the realm, and it represents the endurance of the kingdom and its royal line. Orbyn is the blade of the nation’s warrior-kings, on which all oaths of evidence before the Crown are sworn. Rissar serves as the blade over which blood oaths and oaths of marriage are sworn. Symylazarr is Cormyr’s Font of Honor, used to raise nobles and honor the service of knights. The four swords are clearly weapons of exceptional make and magical power, but some believe they are artifacts bound to Cormyr’s past and future: items that cannot be altered by any known means. Damaging or destroying them requires immense effort and will bring about the vengeance of House Obarskyr and loyal Cormyreans once they learn of the deed. One of the Swords of State could fall into an adventurer’s hands in a number of ways. An adventurer could defeat a thief that escaped with the weapon; he or she could be forced to take up one of the blades during an attack on the Royal Court; or one might use trickery to steal the weapon from the shrine. Only a blood Obarskyr, or one who is approved by the Crown directly (as are the Royal Magician and the Lord Warder, and—it is presumed—the future spouses of Prince Baerovus and Princess Raedra), may remove one of the swords without punishment. Claiming one of the Swords of State is not as simple as wresting it from the hands of its current wielder, and taking advantage of its powers or its value in gold or residuum is more difficult than selling or disenchanting the blade. The Crown of Cormyr holds these weapons among its greatest treasures, and will do whatever it can to regain them: first by diplomacy, then by trade, and finally, if necessary, by violent means. Officials of Cormyr treat any of the Swords of State as rare items when determining their value for reward—or ransom—and they pay the full value of the magical properties (and possibly more, depending on the circumstances of the weapon’s disappearance and recovery) to place the weapon back in Crown hands. In addition to the generous stance the Dragon Throne takes in dealing with persons possessing a piece of its regalia, it is willing to trade weapons obtained through heroic defense of the kingdom for one of the many swords in the fabled collection of the late King Azoun IV, who collected dozens of magic swords of various types and enchantments—including some that mirror or dwarf the powers of the Swords of State. Ansrivarr, Blade of Memory Carried by Mondar Bleth from Old Impiltur when he and his family arrived in what would later become Suzail, this ancient, battered blade is older than the realm. Taken up by Faerlthann First-King when Mondar was slain by the elves who then ruled Cormyr (though every tale told of the slaying blames the attack on orcs), Ansrivarr was the sword worn by Faerlthann and all his sons during their reigns. It was later replaced by finer steel blades crafted to each monarch’s taste in successive generations, becoming little more than an object of ceremony. For generations, the only use for Ansrivarr has been in the coronation of Cormyr’s kings. Unknown to the Obarskyr kings, Baerauble Etharr and the elves of Iliphar’s court (more specifically, Baerauble’s beloved, Alea Dahast) wove countless protective enchantments into the blade, making it nigh invulnerable. Due to its being the sword that represents the kingdom, tale upon tale connects the fate of the realm to that of the blade, and every precaution was taken in those earliest days to prevent dire fates from coming to pass for the sword and the kingdom. Ansrivarr is a +4 staggering greatsword. Orbyn, Edge of Justice Forged by Amedahast for King Duar soon after the death of Baerauble and her ascension as High Mage, Orbyn is an exceptionally powerful weapon. Commonly referred to as “Orblyn” thanks to the speech impediment of a former king and the unwillingness of a scribe to contradict his liege, the sword is used to swear oaths of evidence at the Royal Court and to execute nobles guilty of capital crimes. It is also widely accepted as the proper blade of kings. Orbyn is a finely crafted longsword with intricate, barely visible runes trailing up and down its blade; those holding the sword have noted that the runes seem to move. It has defeated many threats to the Crown, including Magrath the Minotaur—the pirate captain that took Suzail from Duar—and the ancient Thauglor, from whom the Purple Dragons take their name. Orbyn is a +5 shearing longsword. Rissar, the Wedding Blade Initially commissioned by crown prince Rhiigard (Rhiigard I, the Mourning King), Rissar is an exquisitely crafted short sword with a fortune’s worth of gemstones set into its pommel and hilt. Rhiigard intended for the blade to be a wedding gift to Princess Aliia of Impiltur—one of many gifts he purchased, crafted, or had made for his betrothed. Upon hearing the news of her death, and twice afterward, Rhiigard briefly considered slaying himself on the sword’s point, until he finally locked the weapon away deep in a royal vault. He placed it far enough from his sight to prevent it from reminding him of his grief and thus the temptation to end his life. The Wedding Blade did not again see the light of day until the Year of the Emptied Lair (973 DR), when the contents of the vault in which it had been hidden were emptied and transferred to another chamber in the palace due to a rat infestation. The royal exchequer responsible for the transfer of the vault in question brought the blade to the attention of Bryntarth, who appropriated it for use during his wedding ceremony later that season, not knowing of its significance to his father. Rhiigard was appalled by its appearance in his son’s hand, to say nothing of the most important of court ceremonies: the marriage of a crown prince. To save face, and to mask his renewed grief, the king feigned pleasure at his son’s discovery and proclaimed that from that moment forward all royal weddings would be sworn over the blade. Rissar did not see use in swearing blood oaths until the reign of Pryntaler, who was notoriously fond of extracting blood oaths from his friends and vassals. It was Dhalmass who, in royal proclamation, decreed that the blood for any oaths sworn at court be drawn by Rissar’s point. Rissar is a +2 gleaming short sword. Gleaming Weapon Level 9+ Uncommon The blade of this weapon shines like liquid silver. Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp Weapon: Axe, heavy blade, light blade Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls Critical: +1d6 radiant damage per plus Attack Power (Radiant) F Daily (No Action) Trigger: You hit a creature with a melee attack using this weapon. Effect: The creature takes 1d6 radiant damage, and it is blinded until the end of your next turn. Level 14 or 19: 2d6 radiant damage. Level 24 or 29: 3d6 radiant damage. Symylazarr, Font of Honor Symylazarr is a heavy hafted, broad-bladed war sword originally forged during the reign of Rhiiman the Glorious as a demonstration of the quality of weapon that the new steel works in Suzail could produce. Intended for display in one of the palace hallways, the sword bears an elaborate dragon’s head pommel. Though lovely to look at, the blade’s width and weight make it an unattractive weapon for actual fighting. Although it is not a comfortable weapon to wield, its blade is as sharp and deadly as when the sword was first forged. The first time Symylazarr saw battle was nearly one hundred years after its forging, when Moriann (then prince) was attacked by an assassin while walking the halls of Faerlthann’s Keep. Moriann would have died were it not for the quick thinking of a servant named Varanth. The young man tore the sword from the wall and swung wildly at the would-be killer, which caused thunder to rumble. The strike he dealt tore the assassin’s belly open and caused a fatal wound. Moriann knighted Varanth on the spot, and the former servant went on to gain the title “Thundersword” among palace guards. In addition to his new title, Varanth was allowed to keep the blade, which hung awkwardly from his small frame. Varanth became one of the prince’s fast friends, particularly when, a few months after the attempt on Moriann’s life, the prince had the throne thrust upon him. Although neither a capable warrior nor a tactician of any skill, young “Thundersword” was made a commander in the king’s army, always closely attached to any honor guard escorting the king. When Cormyr came into conflict with the goblin kingdom of Hlundadim, Varanth was among the first to fall, and the king took up his friend’s sword, carrying it into battle on many occasions, and losing it in the fray almost as often. It was after the third battlefield knighting of warriors who had saved his life that Moriann forsook the use of the blade in combat. Despite its unlucky tendencies in battle, Symylazarr is still an impressive ceremonial blade, and Moriann employed it in every knighting and investiture until his death. Each oath of fealty and allegiance was sworn over the blade, and in honor of those houses that took up his cause against Hlundadim, he had stylized runes of each family’s initial and seal engraved upon the blade. When Moriann died at the feast to celebrate Cormyr’s successes against Hlundadim, Symylazarr was still strapped to the flank of his horse, and the sword was nearly buried with him. Rayn, Varanth’s youngest son (the only one of six to survive the goblin wars), protested, saying that since the sword was given to his father, it was his right to do with it as he pleased. Tharyann acquiesced, wary of such a popular young knight’s gaining support against him even before he had taken the throne. Rayn took the sword and left. He returned to the palace a tenday later, after Tharyann had ascended. Laying Symylazarr at the king’s feet, Rayn swore his fealty and service to the king and his line, and he was invested as Lord Thundersword for his loyalty. Symylazarr officially entered the royal regalia after the crowning of Gantharla, who declared that from her reign onward it would be used for all knighting and oaths of fealty to the crown. Its use fell dormant during the Thronestrife, but was restored by Thargreve the Greater, who used it to reestablish the loyalty of all of Cormyr’s noble houses. Symylazarr is a +3 thundering bastard sword. The Lost Blades Still missing from the royal vaults and their proper shrine, Ilbratha and Shiningbite are honored in Cormyr’s records as true pieces of the kingdom’s regalia. Because both have been missing for centuries, the Dragon Throne would happily reward the finder of either of these weapons far beyond the value of the item. Even more than the Four Swords, Cormyrean authorities are willing to negotiate for either of the Lost Blades. They will consider replacing the weapon with one of greater power from King Azoun’s collection (which includes some uncommon and rare weapons of immense power), or duplicating the powers of Ilbratha or Shiningbite with rituals performed on another weapon of the bearer’s choosing. If the sword was obtained by fighting traitors to the kingdom or from marauding humanoids, the Crown might even allow a wielder to carry the sword for a time, until—in the manner of Varanth—it is time to return it to Cormyr’s rulers. Ilbratha, Mistress of Battles Forged at the behest of Crown Prince (and later king) Azoun I, this bronze short sword retains a fine edge even after many battles. To Cormyreans, the Mistress of Battles is a symbol of Azoun’s victory over the armies of Shoon, and of the glory and bounty lost when his ship, Valashar’s Bane, sank into the Lake of Dragons in the Year of the Wooded Altar (389 DR). For more than nine centuries, Ilbratha was called Haalorth, the Heir’s Blade. It was carried by the heir of the undersea elven kingdom of Eadraal, and known to the sea folk as the Warrior’s Fang. Lost during the Twelfth Serôs War (1369 DR), Ilbratha, and any trace of the weapon, disappeared entirely with the falling of the Sea of Fallen Stars during the Spellplague. If found, Ilbratha would be considered the property of the heirs of both Cormyr and Eadraal, and part of the regalia of both nations. Eadraal’s royal line is broken since the ravages of the Spellplague, but Cormyr still seeks the Mistress of Battles, if half-heartedly. Ilbratha is a +2 leaping short sword. Leaping Weapon Level 8+ Uncommon The blade seems light, as if it wants to jump away. Lvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gp Lvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gp Weapon: Any one-handed melee Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls Critical: +1d6 damage per plus Attack Power F Encounter (Standard Action) Effect: You charge and can fly as part of the charge’s movement. The number of squares you can fly equals the weapon’s enhancement bonus. Shiningbite, the Drake’s Tooth This once-simple longsword was discovered in the royal armories by a youthful Gantharla, who ordered it polished and its hilt replaced before she carried it into the western reaches of Cormyr against encroaching lizardfolk from the Tun and Farsea marshes. Its recrafting included the addition of two of the rear teeth of the dragon Eaerdynnansczyg, who is also called Eardynn (“ee-ar-din”), at the ends of the crossguard, lending the wyrm’s power and some of its legend to the blade. Twice Shiningbite was used by the warrior-queen to fell young dragons in the Stormhorns, but its magic was not nearly so useful in her campaign against the hill giants in the west, who slew Gantharla and her entire band of ranger-knights, then stripped the bodies of anything that looked useful—including the Drake’s Tooth. Where the blade passed after the First-Queen’s death is a mystery. Shiningbite is a +3 true dragonslayer longsword. Bottles of new wine from one particular vineyard in Tethyr are yielding up more than just a refreshing drink. The bottoms of more than a few bottles have revealed gold rings, small gems, ornate keys and even sets of lockpicks. Was a bottler bored? Spiteful? Trying to get rid of incriminating loot? Or did an attempt to quietly smuggle a cache of treasure to a single destination go terribly awry? Strange Contents Over the last three decades, vintner Oraundas Haeltower rose from being one farmer among hundreds in Tethyr bottling “roughslake” wine for his own and local consumption to the largest purveyor of table wine in the Sword Coast. Haeltower wines are found in so many inn and eatery cellars because they are cheap, smooth, pleasantly nondescript drinkables available by the bottle or the cask. Most Haeltower wines are “sour whites,” so called because they are dry and have a nutty or salty aftertaste. However, Haeltower’s recently introduced sweet “Coast Fanfare” vintages have been very popular, and he has long made a few pale red wines he’s very proud of, and that sell mainly to those who can’t afford the better, more robust reds favored by wealthy and noble drinkers. The vast Haeltower vineyards lie north and east of Vineshade in the Purple Hills (County Vintor) of coastal Tethyr. Down the years, Oraundas Haeltower mastered the friendly art of buying out neighbors and rivals without making lasting foes. These days, locally and along the Sword Coast, he’s respected as a fair trader and a successful vintner—even if those who consider their tastes in wine discerning tend to decry his offerings as “drinkable but forgettable throatquench” rather than a vintage worth cellaring and savoring. The reliable season-after-season abundance, low prices, consistency, and hardiness (they travel and cellar well) of his wines have made them swiftly popular with innkeepers, city shopkeepers, and eatery owners alike, on the Sword Coast and increasingly east through the Heartlands, as far as Sembia. The Haeltower family works the vineyards and produces the wine, sending it forth in smallkegs1 and wagon-casks. While it’s usual for valuable liqueurs to be bottled where they are produced (a custom introduced and reinforced by monastic communities who derive income from being the sole source of several fiery pear- and almond-based drinks, sold in small, distinctive, sturdy glass flasks), wine is transported in smallkegs or larger casks that are tapped to fill carafes in taverns, inns, and eateries as needed, or bottled for local sale by a shop. The popularity of Haeltower vintages caused a surge in purchases from Vineshade shops; caravan traders normally loath to buy breakable bottles repeatedly bought everything available. Not wanting to relinquish their lucrative share of this sudden wave of sales by directing traders to the Haeltower vineyards, the shops bought more casks and filled more bottles, so distant buyers came to expect their favorite Haeltower vintages to arrive in bottles of dark green and brown glass. Bottles which, this year, have yielded up some astonishing finds. In Athkatla, Waterdeep, and Scornubel, more than a dozen plain but large and heavy gold finger rings were found at the bottom of Haeltower bottles. In Baldur’s Gate, Athkatla, Silverymoon, and Waterdeep, small gems (moonstones, emeralds, sapphires, and citrines, both cabochon and faceted) turned up in Haeltower dregs. Three bottles in widely separated locales yielded astonishingly large and ornate keys—at least one of which was of a metal and condition that ruined the wine in the bottle. These keys were not new, and were each as long as a small man’s hand and of elaborate style, obviously linked to important or expensive doors.2 Three stranger finds were also reported: two “like new” sets of lockpicks of the finest Lantanna make (of exotic metals and joined to a common ring with braided wires), and a warding charm meant to keep undead at bay that is popular with backcountry people across the Heartlands and Sword Coast: a human fingerbone engraved with the word “Vauntras,” which means “Keep from me” or “Keep back” in Thorass (Old Common). Some finders angrily confronted traders, shopkeepers, or hosts who’d sold them the wines, and a few reported what was at the bottom of their bottles to a local temple or the local watch. As a result, word swiftly spread, warming the ears of Tethyrian factors (trade agents) and envoys before it reached any of the Haeltowers. These darkening rumors caused a brief souring in popularity of Haeltower vintages, but sales then surged again because guilds in a dozen cities decided to buy any the Haeltower wines they could and decant them in search of treasure, then resell the wine for a profit regardless of what did or didn’t turn up in their bottles. By then, the factors and envoys had made reports to Faerntarn—where the Queen reacted with brisk decisiveness. Storl Thammuraster Investigates The Queen’s military reach, from Darromar across vast Tethyr, can be tenuous from time to time and place to place, but she maintains a vast network of eyes and ears (both casual local spies and skilled, traveling ones) and a small but effective force of formal Crown Investigators. One such “pouncehawk”3 is a tall, gaunt, balding, sharp-featured and sharper-tongued man by the name of Storl Thammuraster, of very old Tethyrian bloodlines and a fierce dedication to uncovering deceit and intrigue. He was commanded to “lay bare the truth behind these wine-tainting objects, and stop them being placed in bottles forthwith”—and intended to do that, by yestereve if he could. Thammuraster began without warning, descending on the bottling shops of Vineshade like a proverbial hungry, swooping dragon. He was astonished to find nothing amiss, and without delay turned to scour the vineyards, prying into the sordid daily secrets of every last Haeltower with an aggression that at first frightened and then enraged Oraundas Haeltower and the other elder Haeltowers. They complained forthwith to the Crown (receiving, by all accounts, nothing but silence in reply), and the shopkeepers of Vineshade responded more furiously: at least two anonymously hired bands of slayers to “remove” Thammuraster. Their failures were spectacular—it seems Crown Investigators are on occasion watched over by capable fighting forces working for the Crown. The shopkeepers’ audacity goaded Thammuraster to pry into their business dealings all the more energetically. For two solid tendays, he searched and interrogated, dispensing with stealth and discretion entirely, and became cordially hated in Vineshade. Again he found nothing illicit, beyond a little suspected “thinning” (watering of wine to make it go further). Thammuraster is a stubborn man, but not a foolish one; he privately concluded Haeltower bottles were being opened and tampered with further along the supply chain, after a trading company had transported them from Vineshade. The spate of curious findings likely arose because someone made a mistake, selling certain bottles that instead should have gone to a particular destination, with the hidden contents intended for a sole recipient, an easily made error if the bottles weren’t carefully segregated or marked. But how to find that mark? Thammuraster’s investigations confirmed the obvious. Tethyrian-made wine bottles can readily be identified by makers’ marks scratched into their bases, but bottlers remain anonymous . . . and there isn’t anything to stop someone from unsealing a bottle, doing something with its contents, and resealing it. All that’s needed are vessels to hold the wine, corks, a ready supply of the right sort and hue of wax, and (forged) stamps to make the right designs on the new wax. The original, broken wax seals can be melted and added into the supply of wax for the new seals. A Frustrating Hunt Thammuraster wondered how, from among literally thousands of Vineshade bottling shop sales, he could possibly identify which buyer was tampering with bottles once they left town in merchant wagons and caravans. Was it an initial purchaser of bottles, or a later buyer from one of the caravan traders? And what else—weapons, or magic, or perhaps poison—was being smuggled this way? Were dark cabals involved, perhaps fell, monstrous hands of the Underdark? He reported these concerns to the Crown, in case his deeper investigations ended his life before he could uncover the truth or tender such warnings, and took the unusual step of asking an adventuring mage for help. Fortunately for Thammuraster, the wizard he happened to approach loved Haeltower wine and was eager to offer assistance for nominal fees. Amaront of Selgaunt was young, energetic, and had a hobby of trying to craft new spells that used gemstones as foci (that is, magic that would emanate from a jewel rather than the caster, or that could be deflected by particular gems so those bearing them would be excluded from such a spell’s area of effect). Amaront had thus far managed to alter cantrips causing brief localized sounds and glows—but these would serve, if he could cast them close enough to full Haeltower bottles, to identify bottles that held gems inside the wine by causing the gems to glow or emit a soaring musical tone. He was also able to magically alter Thammuraster’s appearance for short periods, so the two of them could approach caravan traders without being immediately recognized as Tethyrian agents. Acting on years of reports about usual trade routes and popular markets, the unlikely pair embarked on a long summer of trying to buy a few Haeltower bottles here and a few there. They knew word would spread about them, likely resulting in either the tampered bottles being kept from them or traps arranged for them, so they hoped to swiftly find gems in bottles before their deceptions were uncovered. They were disappointed. After a month of searching, traders began to avoid them, wine merchants were being murdered or going missing shortly before the two visited their shops, and warehouse crates of bottled wine were being moved around to elude their examinations. A frustrated Amaront hit upon the notion of hiring a more powerful wizard to cast magic in concert with his gem-focal cantrips, so any gem within range wouldn’t sing or glow—it would explode. Thammuraster reluctantly agreed to this plan and identified a trader of whom he was suspicious and a wizard (Onth Tarralus of Silverymoon) he hoped had no connection to the smuggling ring. The attempt was made . . . and no explosions occurred. Running low on funds and judging their effectiveness as investigators had run out, Thammuraster decided to spend two tendays on a whirlwind tour of select markets to cast gemblasting spells in each of them. Their very first visit severely damaged Daranthur’s Hall4 in Athkatla, the capital of Amn, with a shattering series of explosions that brought down the roof, killed dozens of traders and shoppers in a hail of glass shards, and severely wounded Amaront. Conspiracy Unmasked Fearing high-level Amnian involvement in the smuggling might mean their imminent deaths, Onth Tarralus called in some favors, and no fewer than four Athkatlan wizards—normally his rivals—brought their talents to his service, swiftly exposing a thieving and smuggling ring in the city run by three rising local merchant families: the Aerlonds, Kravalondurs, and the Morornds. The hasty flights of these families from the realm were as swift as Amn’s complaint to Tethyr about Thammuraster’s presence and activities within its borders—a complaint Thammuraster delivered to his Queen personally, along with such ample gifts of gold from Amn that it took three wagons to carry. A fourth wagon carried four large strongchests of gems, a quiet personal Amnian reward for Storl Thammuraster. He shared them with both mages, selling his share for coins no wizard could make explode, and which he promptly used to buy several Tethyrian vineyards of his own. It remains to be seen if Thammuraster has managed to purchase his own “happily ever after.” There have been at least six recent attempts on his life—and the Aerlonds, Kravalondurs, and the Morornds collectively have enough coin to hire a lot of assassins. Endnotes 1. A “smallkeg” is a type of small wooden cask rather than a specific size—the term means a container an average man can comfortably carry when full, without assistance or a cart. Smallkegs are, in our real-world measurements, about sixteen inches long, and of the classical “fat middle, tapering to the ends” shape. They have stout ends to prevent splitting in a “usual” fall (dropped from the height of a man’s chest onto hard cobbles), and either have rope end-handles or are encased in a netlike rope “haul-net” framework for easy handling. Smallkegs have a bung-hole at their widest point, plugged with a simple cork and sealed with wax. Whoever taps the keg inserts a spigot, if they have one, or if not, pulls the stopper and lifts and tilts the keg to pour. In a tavern brawl, smallkegs make handy and formidable missiles for those strong enough to hurl them. 2. One single key has since been positively matched with its door: the front door of an Athkatlan mansion belonging to a fabulously wealthy ivory and exotic woods trader (and sculptor) named Narondror Glythlont. This rude dandy and local socialite has recently been implicated in drug trading and smuggling. It’s not known if his key was stolen and put into a Haeltower bottle as a comment on Glythlont’s deeds, to bring attention on him, or for other reasons entirely. 3. A “pouncehawk” is any investigator or spy who has government authority, the power to arrest, or both. It’s a term of respect or jovial commentary rather than a term of derision. “Some pouncehawk’ll get you!” is a friendly warning of too-public illicit behavior. 4. Daranthur’s Hall has since been rebuilt and is as busy as ever. It was one of the first, and remains one of the most exclusive (due to its small size and prime downtown location) of the “shared-roof” markets that are now increasingly popular in Amn. 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